Imee Williams graduated from Washington State University (WSU) in May 2017. She majored in neuroscience and minored in psychology. In February 2016, Imee joined the Devers Eye Institute, working as a research assistant in a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded neuroscience laboratory specializing in the mechanisms of glaucomatous vision loss. On April 2017, Imee received First Place and the Outstanding Research Poster Presentation Award at WSU Vancouver Research Showcase for her work at Devers.

She is also an avid volunteer, both in her home community and in the Philippines. Williams—who is an award-winning pianist—has a diversity of experience as a special education teacher, elementary math and English tutor, and choir accompanist.

During a six-month study abroad experience to the Philippines in 2014, she made a point to help disabled orphans at the non-profit Chosen Children Village (CCV) located in Silang, Cavite. Imee worked within the cottages and helped the caregivers feed, bathe, dress, and play with the children. This experience inspired Imee to continue to work with children with disabilities and focus her career in pediatric neurology. During her Fulbright experience, Imee will return to CCV as a volunteer and reconnect with that community.

Imee proposes to study the influence of family support and perceptions on intervention outcomes for children with cerebral palsy living in underserved communities of the Philippines. During her 9-month stay, Imee will work closely with various special needs organizations, elementary schools, and pediatric hospitals to identify the sociocultural barriers Filipino families encounter while raising children with disabilities. Imee will present her findings to local government representatives at the National Council on Disability Affairs and at the Philippine Pediatric Society Annual Convention in April 2019. She believes her project may help to improve the quality of delivery and planning of services for children with disabilities.

Upon her return to the U.S., Imee plans to attend medical school and someday work for a non-profit hospital in the U.S. and open a free medical clinic in the Philippines for underprivileged children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Scholarships & Awards

Washington State University-Vancouver Scholarship 2015-2016

George E. Bergstrom III Memorial Scholarship

E. Faye Dailey Volker Scholarship Fall 2013-2014

Marriah Buhman Memorial Scholarship Fall 2013-2014

Thelma Nylund Scholarship Fall 2012-2013

Kaiser Permanente Healthcare Careers Scholarship May 2012

Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce in Oregon Scholarship May 2012